Diamond Curse
by RyanneEve4090
Summary: They thought he was gone, never again to bother them. But he returned, and he won. With his own version of Crystal Tokyo in place, the rightful queen trapped inside her own dreams, and nearly all the senshi defeated, Prince Diamond is sure that he has set his future in stone. However, one scout still remains, and with the help of some old friends hopes to rewrite history. Again.
1. Chapter 1

**Yay! Another story! Though I should really stick with one, I wrote this and really liked where it was going so I decided to post it! Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon!**

Soft shuffling sounds pulled me from my sleep. Footsteps, most likely from the maids, poured into my chambers and moved all around me. A few of them moved in the direction of the washroom, and I soon heard the water running in the tub. One set moved next to the bed and then behind it, to where I knew the window was located. Not even a second later the curtains were pulled open, and bright sunlight rushed in, searing through my eyelids.

I nonchalantly pulled the thick, downy cover over my head to try and hide from the maids, hoping for a few more minutes of precious sleep. Maybe if I sound like I'm still sleeping, they'll all leave me alone…

No such luck.

"Lady Serenity?" A gentle voice, mere inches from where my head lay buried in blankets, called me.

I tensed, trying to keep my breathing deep and even.

The voice chuckled. "I know you are awake under there, my lady. Come now, we must prepare you for the day." She tugged at the covers and I made no move to stop her.

I had to blink a few times to adjust to the light, while the smiling face of Amana waited patiently for me to be ready. Amana was one of the older maids, with a round face full of smile lines that reminded me of a loving grandmother. Her completely silver-grey hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, framing her amber orange eyes, and she wore the standard maid's uniform; a pair of black pants and a white blouse.

With a heavy sigh I propped myself onto my elbows, letting the silky sheets fall from my bare shoulders and pool at my waist. A frown tugged at my lips as a sense of de já vu made my head spin.

I shook the feeling from my thoughts as Amana helped me out of bed and directed me to the washroom, where a bath was already waiting for me. My body went about the normal routine, slipping into the hot, sudsy water and allowing the various maids to wash my skin and hair. I had grown used to them tending to me to such detail; it was something I hadn't liked at first.

For a moment I tried to remember what it was like in the beginning, right after the wedding and the beginning of Crystal Tokyo, but nothing came to mind. It was as if the memories had happened so long ago that they only came back as an emotional haze – I could remember doing it, I just couldn't remember it.

But… it's not like the start of Crystal Tokyo was that long ago, was it? Only five or six years. Or… had it been longer? A decade? More? For some reason I couldn't remember. How long had I been here?

Hands tugged gently on my now clean hair, lifting the long mess out of the water so they could start the task of drying it. This part always took the longest, only because of the sheer length of my platinum locks. I dipped down an inch or two lower in the bath, inhaling the sweet scents that had been put in the water, and waited for the maids to finish.

"What's on the agenda today?" I asked, a hint of sleepiness still weighing down my voice.

Amana chuckled. "Nothing too stressful. You have a dress fitting after breakfast for the Summer Solstice Ball, and are scheduled for an appearance with your King just before supper."

I nodded, lost in thought. It felt as though all I ever did anymore was get fitted for dresses and make appearances. Was there nothing more in my life as a Queen?

For so long this simple life had been more than sufficient. It was carefree and easy, I was protected and loved. But suddenly everything had seemed so… thin. As though every step I took threatened to crack the ice beneath me. My world had never felt so forced, so fake.

A few weeks ago the feeling had first made itself known, starting as just a hazy, half-existent worry. But it soon plagued my dreamless sleep, forming nightmares unlike anything I had ever seen. I saw the same fights against powerful, magical enemies on a constant loop, with the same group of girls fighting and dying each time. The girls in my nightmares looked just like my friends, the senshi stationed around the palace.

I never breathed a word of the nightmares to anyone, not even my King. _'I can't burden them with such a petty issue,'_ I had convinced myself.

Though, in all actuality, that wasn't the reason I didn't tell anyone. I knew that if my King knew he would most likely ask Mercury for a cure, and she would give me one. The nightmares would be gone… and that was, for some reason, not what I wanted.

After having these nightmares for about a week, I found that I almost… enjoyed them. They were scary, yes, but each time I felt almost as though I was fighting right alongside my senshi, and the sense of teamwork was something I had been longing for years. The dreams filled me with a sense of warm, overpowering love, and of fierce determination and hope. I loved it.

Another sigh left my lips, and the movement caused ripples in the cooling bathwater.

"Lady Serenity, your hair is almost dry. You may step out of the tub now, if you wish." Amana said.

I did just that, and then stood in a daze for the next few minutes as I was dried and dressed for the day. They selected a strapless, pale blue dress with a golden beaded bodice and laced hem. My hair was styled in their usual buns and pigtails, which then fell to the ground and trailed behind me. A golden tiara, adorned with a collection of diamonds and other crystalline gemstones, was placed atop my head.

Amana and the others started bustling around me, perfecting every crease in the dress, every curl in my hair, before deciding that I looked absolutely perfect.

I stared at the girl in the mirror, the one with the practiced poise and stiff posture, covered from head to toe in an over the top glamorous and bejeweled get-up. She looked lost, drowning in the attention of the help and longing for time with those she held closest.

'_The life of a queen…'_ I thought bitterly as the maids then escorted me to the dining hall, where breakfast was surely waiting for me.

We passed a familiar head of blonde hair on our way to the hall, and a small smile graced my lips. "Sailor Venus!" I greeted her.

Venus smiled back to me, bowing her head slightly. Her blue eyes, normally so full of enthusiasm, seemed unusually cold today. "Good morning, Queen. How are you?"

"I am fine, thank you." I struggled to keep my smile on my face. Why did she seem so strange? I looked over her again, wracking my brain for any differences between her now and how she was yesterday. Nothing seemed different, but at the same time everything did. "Amana said I have a dress fitting today… would you care to join me?"

Her smile, almost robotic, never faltered. "I am on duty today, my Queen." With that she turned and continued down the hall we had come from, and I was on my way as well.

Minako would have jumped at the opportunity to help me with my clothes. A vague memory of the two of us shopping, back when we were younger, flashed in my mind before being washed away with the tide. Where was the bubbly, eager girl I had come to call my best friend?

Or better yet, how long had she been gone?

Breakfast passed by with an unusual silence, and the entire time I wondered when I would see my King. It was unusual to not see him in the morning; perhaps he had some business to attend to.

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars stood in the dining room with me, on duty. They refused to sit and eat with me when I offered, though that wasn't unusual anymore.

The waiters and chefs that bustled to and from the kitchen chattered on mechanically about the early preparations for the Solstice Ball that were already taking place. I couldn't bring myself to listen to the details of yet another lavish party. Didn't they ever get tired of this same routine? We hosted a ball nearly every week.

My food was bland and tasteless this morning, ruining the large appetite I normally had, though I did my best not to show it. The only highlight was the fruity pastries at the end which were filled with a gooey peach jelly and topped with icing.

Ahh, sweet sugar. It was the only thing that seemed normal and comforting today.

"Where is my King?" I asked suddenly, grabbing the attention of both Jupiter and Mars. They looked at me with matching expressions, as though I'd asked a question with an obvious answer.

'_It's probably something the Queen should know.'_ I thought, mentally scolding myself for not knowing.

I offered an apologetic smile to the two senshi, hoping to cover up my foolishness. "It's just that… I'd expected him to have returned by now."

"The King is hard at work. He will be here later." Jupiter said, her response robotic and identical to the one she gave me yesterday, when I'd asked that same question.

My fists clenched under the table. "No. I would like to see him now." I insisted.

The two senshi exchanged an odd glance before Sailor Mars wordlessly left, hopefully to get him.

Something was not right. Something was not right at all.

A busboy came in to clear off the table, and I took the cue to leave. As I slowly made my way down the hallway to the front foyer Jupiter followed behind me, close enough to be escorting me but far enough away to make it awkward.

"Jupiter," I sighed, turning to face her. "Don't follow me. Walk with me." I pointed to the spot at my left.

She looked at my pointing hand for a moment before coming to stand stiffly next to me.

"What's wrong, Jupiter?" I whispered, tears springing to my eyes. "You're so different… what happened?"

She offered a hollow smile. "Nothing is different, my queen. Everything is fine."

Our eyes were locked, neither of us saying any more. Finally I shook my head. "No, it's not!" And with that I spun on my heels and dashed back towards my room, my long hair bouncing against my back with every step.

I burst into my room and fell onto my bed, already exhausted though the day had only just started. For a moment I didn't care about keeping the pristine image of royalty. For a moment I didn't care who was watching or what they would think. For a moment, all I wanted to do was cry.

So I did.

Tears poured down my face as I sobbed into the pillows, and I cursed the "beautiful" life of a queen I'd gotten myself into.

There were very few things I could still remember from my old life, and most of what I held onto were snippets of memories with my friends, such as shopping with Minako and studying with the girls at Rei's shrine. The time between this life and the life I lived now was cloudy at best, but this had never struck me as odd until recently.

"Serenity?" A familiar voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I lifted a tear-stained face to meet violet eyes, framed by long white hair. Something in my heart sank as I locked eyes with him, my King.

King Diamond.

"What's troubling you, my love?" He asked, sitting down on the bed next to me.

"I don't know," I sobbed, pushing myself up so that I was sitting too. "Everything has been so weird lately!"

Diamond ran his fingers through my long pigtail. "What do you mean?"

I thought about how to explain the whole thing to him, but couldn't find the right words to fit my thoughts. "Everyone's acting strange." I finally answered. "They're so different now. I wish they weren't so serious about their job."

He chuckled. "You've never said anything about that before."

My mind drifted back to the scouts, and suddenly their behavior didn't seem so odd anymore. "Lately everything has been funny anyway." I murmured, only slightly aware that I was repeating myself.

"Are you sure?" Diamond placed a hand on my shoulder, but I barely noticed. Now that he was here, any thoughts that there was anything out of place seemed to wash away.

Everything was okay when he was here.

He leaned towards me and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. Almost instantly a drowsy sensation fluttered at the edges of my mind, and I couldn't help a yawn escape.

"Are you tired, my Queen?" Diamond smiled, getting up to let me lie down again.

I only nodded as I pulled the blankets over me, ignoring the fact that I still had my frilly dress on and my hair done up.

As my eyes fluttered shut, I was only half aware of the way King Diamond seemed to fade from the room, as though he was never there to begin with.

* * *

Prince Diamond sat stiffly in his throne, staring down at the young woman in front of him. His elaborate golden throne had been built at the top of a short staircase and in front of a tall crystalline structure, beautiful in its simplicity. The throne room itself, lined with blue crystal pillars and large windows, still held a certain dark aura despite the natural light spilling in. The windows were framed with dark blue drapes, and through them one could see crystal buildings far in the distance. An intricate blue and gold pattern had been tiled onto the floor, adding a sense of light to the otherwise cold room.

The Prince, a glass of expensive red wine in hand, was adorned with more golden trinkets than the entire room. His violet cape, contrasting sharply with his white royal attire, hung over the side of his throne. A deep scowl found its way onto Diamond's face, and he glared with certain distaste at the nurse before him.

The nurse held her gaze at the floor, both hands clasped tightly behind her back. Her pale lavender hair was tied with black ribbon in two high pigtails, so her hair wouldn't fall past her shoulders. Long bangs fell over her left eye, further shielding her from the Prince's deadly stare. She sported a uniform similar to the other nurses: a high-collared grey blouse with poufy sleeves and a black bodice, black slacks and short black gloves.

Diamond cleared his throat, a sound that never sounded more threatening to the girl. After a moment's hesitation her large ruby eyes raised to meet his.

"Nurse Korina." He greeted her.

"Yes, Prince Diamond?" Her voice answered, giving away her tense state of mind.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I… I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Korina said evenly, though she knew very well what he was referring to.

"You know damn well what I mean!" He hissed, slamming his fist against the arm of the throne. "Why is the Princess becoming aware of her dream? She should be sedated well beyond any ability of that!"

Korina flinched at his outburst, but held her tongue before she could say anything that would jeopardize her life. "I'm sorry Prince, but sometimes a person's body… adapts to the drugs they are given. She may simply need a larger dose…"

"Then give it to her!" Diamond interrupted, raising his voice yet again. "I don't care how much more you need to give her, as long as she doesn't wake up!"

"But, sir… if Serenity is on these drugs for too long…" The nurse started to explain, but stopped short when the Prince rose from his seat.

He slowly made his way down the stairs, and then walked to the closest window to look out at the city, covered by nightfall. "Sailor Moon… Neo Queen Serenity…" His voice held a tone of affection as he spoke of the Princess, "Is a very strong woman. She will need to stay as sedated as possible until the amnesiac drugs finish their job. Until then, I'm sure her body can handle a little bit more."

"Of course, Prince." She whispered. _'Better just to agree with him…'_ Her thoughts reasoned.

Prince Diamond paused for a moment before continuing. "Do you see this city? These people? They have been without their rightful queen for far too long. It has taken them years to forget the bloodshed of the sailor senshi's final battle, and even longer to succumb to my rule. However, when Neo-Queen Serenity rises again, they will finally unite under our rule as Crystal Tokyo."

Korina's eyes stayed fixed on the Prince as he turned and walked back towards her.

"I have worked for years to perfect the Crystal Tokyo that is Princess Serenity's dream. She will awaken to believe that I am her destined Prince, and we will rule this kingdom together." He gestured to the golden diamond tiara, displayed proudly on a pedestal off to the side, waiting to crown the Princess. "It is crucial that you and your team keep her body asleep, so her mind can accustom to the life she will wake up to."

He stood in front of Korina, eye level with her, and the menacing scowl returned to his face. With every inch he leaned forward she leaned back, intent on keeping the distance between them.

"I don't care how young you are." He snarled. "You were qualified for this position and you will not ruin the effort I have put into making her my Queen. Consider this your warning."

Eyes widened in shock at his sudden change in tone, Korina quickly nodded.

"I'm glad we understand each other." Diamond smirked, turning to his throne once again. "You are dismissed."

Doing her best to keep her composure, Korina spun on her heels and tried to walk normally out of the throne room, her heart pounding in her chest with each step. As soon as she heard the doors click shut behind her she stopped in her tracks, letting out a long breath of air.

Every muscle seemed to relax when she did so. "That was close." She breathed, her hand closing over the scarlet and grey broach pinned to her belt for comfort.

With a quick glance around her to confirm that she was still alone, Korina brushed her stray lavender locks behind her ears, folded her hands neatly in front of her, and walked back to the Princess's quarters to continue with a mission of her own.

'_Soon, my Princess. Soon you will be free again.'_

**So, let me know what you think, and if I should keep going or not. Note that this isn't a UsagixDiamond fic. Thanks for reading! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Woo! Thanks to everyone who reviewed or followed! Here's chapter two, I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Korina's character...**

The round brush slid effortlessly through Princess Serenity's silvering hair, clutched tightly in Korina's hand. She slowly worked her way through the entirety of the young lady's long hair, careful not to miss even an inch.

'_Maybe today I'll braid it…' _She mused to herself, pausing a moment to take in the sheer length of the Princess's hair. As difficult of a task as it was, Korina had forced herself to do it once before. Of course, that was out of sheer boredom.

Today Korina was just anxious.

After the stressful meeting with Prince Diamond, she had returned to a less-than-agreeable team of nurses to work with. Being the youngest of any of the nurses on duty, Korina had faced a challenge to rise through the ranks and become the Princess's head nurse. When the previous head nurse had retired, it only took Korina a matter of days to convince Prince Diamond to promote her. Then again, she had cheated her way to the top. Cheated her way through medical school, cheated on her resume, cheated her way into the castle…

'_It all had to be done.'_ Her thoughts spat bitterly. _'No matter the cost, to get close to the Princess.'_

Her hand automatically started running the brush through the silver hair again.

When Korina returned to the Princess just a few hours earlier, there had been three other nurses in her quarters. The first two were just helpers; they knew little of the medicine behind the vials of liquid and IVs. The third was Mani, a thirty-something brunette of a girl with a fierce loyalty to Prince Diamond, with whom Korina never seemed to see eye to eye.

"_What did Prince Diamond have to say?" Mani said when Korina walked through the doors. _

"_Nothing too important. Continue what you were doing." Korina replied, not even bothering to glance up at Mani._

"_Your job isn't the only one on the line!" Mani spat, pointing her all-accusing finger in Korina's direction. "Don't keep secrets from us!"_

_Flipping one of her lavender pigtails over her shoulder, Korina's scarlet eyes rose to meet Mani's green ones. "We discussed some changes in doses that will hopefully be more effective in his plan. However, these changes will not be taking place until tomorrow morning. You may return to your room for the evening." Although the last sentence was meant to be a request, both girls could easily see the underlying command._

_The two other nurses, whom had been quietly avoiding the argument, took the cue to quickly make their exit._

"_Why don't you let someone help you?" Mani asked, her voice holding an unusual amount of concern for the younger head nurse. "Maybe then you'll get more sleep, and make less mistakes." She added, returning to her usual spite filled self._

"_I can do it myself." Korina said through clenched teeth. She didn't need help. Everything would be better off if she did everything herself, and made sure everything was right._

"_You know, we're supposed to be a team," Mani's scowl deepened as she crossed her arms. "So when the Queen wakes up we will all be rewarded equally."_

"Equally…" Korina scoffed to herself, setting the brush to the side. What about any of this was equal in her eyes?

Her gaze rose to land on the metal post standing inches away from the Princess's bed. From the post hung three plastic tubes, strung through square machines that measured the pressure of the liquids inside. The first tube, hanging from a clear bag at the top of the post, ended in the crook of Serenity's elbow, delivering various nutrients and electrolytes that her body needed to survive. The second tube carried a strong combination of narcotics and opioids, creating a drug dubbed 'hydrophormine' that effectively keeps its user in a medically induced coma. That tube ended in an external stent near the Princess's heart, delivering the drug right into her bloodstream.

Scarlet eyes trailed the third tube, which carried a pale blue substance, as it traveled to the back of Serenity's head. She knew it ended at the base of her skull, where the hallucinogens inside it had the greatest effect on the Princess's unconsciousness. Or, more specifically speaking, on her dreams.

When Serenity had been first sedated, Korina wasn't yet in the palace. She had no idea how Prince Diamond and the nurses had constructed the dream world that Serenity was trapped in.

"To build someone's dreams…" She murmured to herself. The whole idea was absurd to her at first: creating a perfect world for the mind to occupy as if it were conscious? It didn't seem possible.

Yet here Serenity was, as motionless as she had been for years. Her mind and body made no effort to try and wake themselves up, as they were both completely tricked into thinking that they were, in fact, awake.

Since Korina's arrival in the palace she had been studying every known fact about the different drugs used on the Princess. To wake Serenity up, she would have to be slowly weaned off the two at the same rate, or else her body would be thrown into a shock. Her mind would need to accept the fact that it wasn't exactly awake before either of the drugs could be removed completely, which was easier said than done.

Korina rose from her stool and crossed the room to the grey cupboards, where the concentrated drugs were stored in multiple glass vials. She took each bottle labeled hydrophormine and pulled the lids off each one. After a quick glance at the door she swiftly poured a small portion of each bottle down the drain. Korina grabbed a bag of electrolytes and topped off each bottle, diluting the drug inside.

She had been doing this for a while; each time she thought the Princess was ready to be taken off a little more Korina would dilute all of the drugs. This way the other nurses still thought they were giving her the right amount, but instead were giving her less.

Korina continued down the line of drugs, diluting not only the combinations but the ingredients as well. When she finally finished, she added a little of each new concentration to the Princess's IVs.

She let out a long sigh and fell onto her chair again. "I hope you wake up soon." She whispered to Serenity. "I'm not sure how much more I can get away with, right under Diamond's nose."

The air around Korina suddenly changed, alerting her to someone's presence. She stiffened, waiting for whoever it was to speak, but he or she didn't say anything. Finally she turned, and felt her shoulders relax at who it was.

The person behind her, a young man with wavy white hair that fell short of his shoulders, smiled to the nurse. His golden eyes glinted with specks of orange, matching the horn perched atop his head.

"Helios." Korina greeted, a small smile gracing her lips. "How are you?"

"I am fine." He said, stepping closer to stand at Serenity's bedside. "Did Prince Diamond summon you?"

She nodded to him.

"Is he becoming more suspicious?"

Korina's smile was replaced with a grimace. "Not exactly. As of our meeting earlier he just thinks I'm incompetent."

She noticed him smile. "How foolish of him. You are anything but incompetent."

Heat flushed to Korina's cheeks, which she fought furiously. "Anyway, I don't think our luck will hold up much longer."

Her hands tightened into fists as she glanced down at the sleeping Princess. Serenity's delicate features remained so still, as always.

"We don't have much time left. I want to pick up the pace a little bit." Korina murmured.

"Pick up the pace?" Helios repeated, sounding more than a little skeptical. "I feel as though that would be rather conspicuous. That, and dangerous to Serenity."

"Diamond seems to think she can handle anything." Korina huffed, crossing her arms as she recalled his comment earlier. "Besides, I'm starting to think that abruptly stopping the flow of narcotics will be just the shock we need to wake her up. Otherwise, her body will become used to keeping itself asleep on the smaller amounts."

"You sound as though you are guessing."

"I never actually finished medical school, remember?" Korina's gaze lowered to the floor.

Helios chuckled softly. "Right. But don't you think you should consult someone else first?"

At this, a spark of anger flashed through Korina's eyes. "No. We can't trust anybody in this castle, and I don't need to consult anyone about this."

The two fell into near silence, both listening to the rhythmic beeps from the Princess's heart monitor. Helios let out a sigh. "We can't let her stay this way." He finally said, somewhat agreeing with Korina.

She nodded slowly. "I need to find the breaking point in the drugs. Then we can bring her back. Hopefully."

A frown formed on Helios's face. "Are you sure that can be done without risking the Princess's life? As crucial as time is, it will mean nothing if…" He trailed off, refusing to finish the obvious.

"I know." Korina whispered. "But… I have to get serious about this. Everything up until now has just been messing around in comparison, and if Diamond realizes I'm not here to serve him then things will get ugly."

Her gaze rose to meet his, and she could see so much worry in his golden eyes, so much concern for Serenity… and for herself.

She continued. "The sooner we get her out of here, the less time Diamond has to find us."

"Just don't get yourself caught." Helios looked away, his frown deepening. "If you're gone, then it's all over."

Korina nodded. She knew this; even though she would almost instantly be reincarnated, her next self would be far too late to save Serenity. No matter the cost, she knew she could not fail.

"You should try to awaken her memories again." She said to Helios. "That seemed to work well last time."

"I will try my hardest, but it's up to her consciousness to remember them." He reminded her. "There is little I can do…"

"There is plenty you can do." Korina interrupted him, her eyes softening. "Even if you don't think it's much, it's helping."

"Of course." Helios said with a sigh. They stood silent again.

"Can you… can you promise me something?" Korina asked, her voice barely audible. When Helios nodded, she continued. "Just promise me that if you see Diamond… you get out of there as soon as you can. If he were to see you, he'll know you aren't a part of her dream! And he will do anything to make sure you aren't threatening his plans."

She looked up to see Helios staring back at her, a confused expression riddling his face.

"Just don't… I mean, make sure you aren't…" She stuttered before letting out a sad sigh. "I just can't stand the thought of you getting hurt. We've lost too many already." A fierce blush crept onto her cheeks, prompting her to add the last part at the last second.

Helios smiled to the girl. "Then you promise not to get hurt, either." With that he turned to the sleeping form of Serenity, a golden light emanating from the horn on his head. There was a pale flash and he was gone, finding his way into the very consciousness of the Princess's dreams.

Korina let out the breath she was holding and fell onto her chair again, realizing that neither of them had even agreed to their promises. "Good luck, Helios." She whispered.

* * *

A golden light led the way through the darkness, illuminating nothing but the empty path ahead. Voices started to find their way to his ears, but none of the words they carried held any emotion. A place and time started to take shape around him, familiar crystal castle walls rising up to meet the infinite sky above.

The dream world swirled into view around Helios. It had not yet reacted to him, however, as he was still a simple specter and could only observe. He used the safety of the shadows to make his way about the castle, looking for Neo Queen Serenity.

Finally he heard a voice up ahead, and sped up his pace to find two young women standing by a large window, talking about a party of some sort happening soon. Helios paused and watched as they suddenly froze, mid-sentence, and faded away.

The dream Serenity was trapped in was ongoing and complex, and since there was only one consciousness walking around it was pointless for the dream to sustain the life of the entire world. Only when the Princess was near did other people appear, and then when she was far enough away the dream stopped creating their presence.

In a way, the entire world literally revolved around Serenity.

Being a guardian of dreams, Helios was free to wander farther from Serenity and remain in the castle, but he knew that without him there the physical surroundings would have faded away as well.

Helios took a deep breath in and felt a familiar tingle run through his body. He glanced down to make sure that he was no longer Helios, but instead Amana, one of the Queen's personal handmaidens.

Now disguised, Amana took a step forward and saw the world around her almost light up, finally noticing her presence. She nodded to herself and folded her hands before continuing her walk.

A few hallways ahead, Amana found Neo Queen Serenity eating supper, alone, with two of the inner scouts standing guard at the door. A frown pulled at the handmaiden's lips, and she was propelled into the dining room.

"Amana!" Serenity's eyes lit up when she saw her, and the older lady smiled back. "Are you hungry? Why don't you sit and eat?"

The two inner scouts, Venus and Mercury, paid no mind as Amana accepted the invitation and sat down across from the Queen, a plate of fresh foods placed in front of her. "How are you, dear?" Amana asked.

"Everything had been fine. My King and I rode through the village today, and the weather was beautiful." A sort of cloud was darkening her blue eyes, and Amana cursed under her breath.

'_Every time he visits her dream, it undoes any progress we make!' _She thought, watching the Princess as she ate her food, completely carefree. "Are you two up to anything later on?"

The Queen looked up at her. "No, my King had some business to attend to."

"Why don't we do something nice with your hair tonight?" Amana pushed the food around on her plate. This dream food never seemed to do any justice.

"Something nice?" Serenity blinked. "Like what?"

"Well…" The older lady glanced over at her hair. Sure, she could wash hair, but styling it was a completely different story… "How about I braid it?" It was nothing she had ever attempted before, but she had seen Korina and the shrine maidens do it plenty of times. How hard could it be?

After a second, the Queen smiled. "That sounds like a lovely idea!" She said before returning to her supper.

Amana released the breath she was holding. She looked over at the two girls standing guard, neither of which had moved an inch since her arrival, just in case they decided to spring to life. Not that she expected them to, of course. Unless they were spoken to directly they seemed to be lifeless.

She smiled back to the Princess, still eating, and patiently waited for her to finish.

* * *

The heart monitor and Serenity's breathing were the only sounds surrounding Korina as she sat silently, watching her. It was nearly sunset, the other nurses should be arriving any second for the evening recording of vitals.

A loud sigh escaped Korina's lips as she envisioned the inevitable battle between her and Mani.

'_I should probably figure out an alibi ahead of time…' _She thought, crossing her arms. Normally Mani believed anything she said, but with the tension between the nurses and Prince Diamond she may be more on her guard.

Before another thought could cross her mind, the door to Serenity's quarters clicked open, and was pushed aside.

Korina stood tall, ready to face the older nurse, but felt herself turn cold at the realization of who had entered the room.

"Prince Diamond…" She breathed.

The Prince ignored her, instead walking up to the Princess's bedside. "She appears to be doing better." He noted.

"Of course! I set to work right away correcting the doses." Korina replied, a little too quickly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

He smirked at her. "I intend to visit Serenity in her dreams more often. I think it will help her… adjust."

Korina clenched her teeth. _'I'm not stupid!'_ Her mind threatened to scream. _'You're just here to make sure I'm doing what I'm told!'_

Diamond turned back to the sleeping Serenity and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "That is, of course, you have any reason I shouldn't." His eyes glinted dangerously at her, daring her to say something.

'_Shit…' _She thought. If he went in now, there was no way Helios would avoid him.

One thing was for sure… she was in deep water this time.

**Alrighty, well there we go! I'm kinda winging it with this story, but I like how it's going in my head so far. Oh and if anything is confusing please let me know! I'll clear it up in the next chapter. Hope ya liked it! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Good Morning! (or afternoon, or evening...) I'm back! I would apologize for the insanely long time it took for me to upload, but there really wasn't a god enough reason. I mean sure I've been dealing with graduation and everything (I'm officially a High School Graduate!), but I still feel bad for not uploading sooner. But don't worry, there's no way on earth I'm ever giving up this story! (*applause*)**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and/ or followed and/ or Favorited! You make my heart soar! :)**

**Disclaimer****: I own nothing but my character Korina! **

'_Of all the times you could have come and visit, why did you have to choose this one?' _Korina's thoughts constantly buzzed, leaving her no room to sort out a plan. Despite her heart pounding in her chest, she did her best to keep a gathered, professional composure.

Prince Diamond towered over her petite form, a dark glint of power sparking in his eyes. He turned towards the sleeping form of Princess Serenity, prepared to make the jump into her dreams, when Korina finally forced herself to say something.

"W…wait, Prince!" She stuttered over her own words. An anxious chill ran down her spine as Diamond fixed his cold eyes on her.

It wasn't hard to see the Prince's anger shadowing his face. Korina swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing that she was the root of his anger, but also knowing that it was completely necessary for the mission.

The young nurse scrambled for something believable to spit out, anything that would stall him in the least. "Sir… Putting extra strain on the Princess's body and mind may not be wise. It's, uh… difficult to keep her stable with the consistent interruptions in dream waves." She checked over the story in her mind, praying that there weren't blaring holes in it.

The slightest hint of confusion passed through his features, before the mask of anger returned. His eyes narrowed in thought. "Are you accusing me of 'interrupting her dreams'?" He asked, his voice oddly calm.

Korina felt her throat go dry. She opened her mouth to deny it when he spoke again.

"My visits are what keep her dream together. It is my power, my influence that constructs the beautiful world she lives in and keeps her mind occupied."

She nervously cast a glance towards the Princess, unsure of what to say next.

Prince Diamond let out a low chuckle. "You didn't know that, did you?"

Korina didn't answer, momentarily lost in her thoughts. _'How could I not know that? I'm supposed to know everything about this!' _Her eyes followed the trail of tubes carrying what she thought were hallucinogens. Apparently she had been sorely mistaken.

Realizing that he was waiting for a response, Korina cleared her throat. _'Think of a better reason.'_ Her thoughts spat at her bitterly.

Choosing to ignore the Prince's last comment, she tried another route. "Serenity's consciousness has been close to the surface recently… I fear that being exposed to something that is real will increase her chances of waking up too soon."

"Well, that's what you're here for, is it not?" Diamond shrugged.

Korina blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Your job is to keep her asleep." He said simply, before his tone took on a more threatening note. "If you are incapable of doing that, then perhaps it would be best if I replaced you."

"I understand, Prince." She said through clenched teeth. Part of her was screaming, trying desperately to understand why he would want her sedated so heavily. _'Does he want her to ever wake up again?!'_

A moment of silence passed before Diamond turned to Serenity again. A faint glow started sparking in front of his third eye as he concentrated his power.

Panic coursed through Korina for a split second. However, that split second was enough to overwhelm her common sense, something she tried so hard to keep in check. She took a few steps towards the Prince, who stood with his back to her.

Just before Diamond could disappear into the dreams of his bride to be, something deep inside Korina just had to force her to open her damn mouth.

"But, you can't…!" She started to say.

The Prince froze for an instant at the nurse's words before whirling to face her, cutting off whatever she was going to say next. He saw her eyes widen the smallest bit as his hand flew out towards her, making contact with her cheek with a satisfying smack.

The sudden pain stunned Korina into silence. She caught her balance before she could fall, and now stood with her left shoulder towards him. _'You will not cry. You will not show him weakness.'_ Her mind chanted over and over again as she stared hard at the floor. Both hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms.

"How dare you." Diamond seethed. "How dare you try and tell me what I can and cannot do."

Korina found herself thankful that her long lavender bangs hid him from her view.

"I expect you to not make that mistake again." A sort of pulse of power emitted from him, and Korina knew she was once again alone with the sleeping Princess.

She remained frozen to her spot, half expecting him to reappear again, and let out a shaky breath. Slowly, she brought her hand up to press against her face, relishing in the feeling of her cold palm on her stinging cheek.

'_You will not cry.' _Her mind continued. _'You will not show weakness.'_

"Helios…" She whispered, looking up at Serenity. "If you get hurt in there, I will never forgive myself."

A strange clenching feeling tightened in her chest, and she felt the smallest of tears run down her cheeks.

There was no way of knowing if Diamond had found him. All she could do was wait.

* * *

"Amana?" Serenity's voice broke the silence around them. She sounded thoughtful, almost confused, as she watched her handmaiden slowly twist her silver hair into a braid.

The older lady paused, studying her poor attempt at braiding, and looked up to meet the Neo Queen's eyes in the mirror. "Yes, my Queen?" She asked. "Is something wrong?"

Serenity stared at her for a long moment before shaking her head. "I was going to ask you the same thing. You seem bothered by something."

'_If only you knew…'_ Amana thought sadly. She returned to the task at hand, both girls slipping back into their thoughts. _'How do I get her to remember?' _

Amana knew that she needed to gently nudge Serenity in the right direction. Once before, when she had tried to outright tell her that she couldn't remember the real world, Serenity had simply gotten upset and refused to listen.

But then there was last time.

"Lady Serenity…" She paused, unsure of what to say next.

The Queen waited for her to continue.

"Have you seen the scouts recently?"

"Well, of course! Venus and Mercury ate with us earlier, and we saw Mars on our way here. I also saw Jupiter this morning, just after breakfast." She answered, giving Amana an incredulous look. "I see them all the time."

Amana tilted her head to the side, as if waiting for her to continue. Her hands absently ran through Serenity's hair, pulling out the half-braid that was there.

Serenity's lips pursed. "Is something the matter? Did something happen?"

"No, no… that's not it." Tearing her eyes away from Serenity's blue ones, Amana focused on her own hands, twisting strands of silvery hair through her fingers. "I was hoping you would keep going."

Now the Queen just looked confused. She counted on her fingers each of the four scouts, mouthing their names as she counted them, and repeated it once on each hand.

Amana fell silent. _'Here goes nothing…' _She pulled another chair closer and took a seat, now eye level with the younger girl. "What about the other scouts?"

Serenity blinked, looking up from her hands. "What other scouts?"

A wave of nerved hit Amana, freezing her before she could say any more. Was this too forward? Too big of a memory? _'I can't afford to scare her with these memories… I'm not going to have many more opportunities.'_

"What other scouts?" Serenity repeated, a hint of urgency lacing her voice.

Swallowing her worries, Amana forced herself to spit it out. "The outer scouts. Where are the outer scouts?"

She was met with a blank expression.

Serenity stared at her, all emotion drained from her face, as if Amana was speaking a completely different language.

"You know… Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto?" Amana nudged. "Uranus and Neptune?"

"Uranus and Neptune…" Serenity mumbled the names, her eyes flashing to the open window across the room. "There is no Sailor Uranus. There is no Sailor Neptune." She said mechanically.

"What about Sailor Pluto? She's the Time Guardian. Of course she…"

"There is no Sailor Pluto." Serenity gently interrupted in the same programmed voice as before.

Amana bit her lip, trying to find a way to remind her. _'Maybe if I just start talking about them, as if they're here all the time…?'_

She picked up the round brush from the vanity and began to brush through the Princess's hair again.

"Sailor Uranus said that she and Neptune – Michiru – would be back soon after the concert. Michiru works wonders on her violin; her music is so beautiful."

Serenity was silent, staring straight ahead. She looked as though she was in a trance; eyes wide, breathing deeply, completely motionless.

Amana dared to keep going. "Haruka was talking about their tour around the world. She said they have several concerts in Europe and North America, and she was hoping they would find spare time to 'cruise the countryside', as she put it."

Of course, such 'concert tours' didn't exactly happen in modern Crystal Tokyo, but hopefully Serenity wouldn't notice.

The Queen remained frozen, staring a million miles away.

"Serenity, are you okay?" Amana stopped brushing, suddenly concerned about her princess's state. She held her breath for an answer when she realized that she could hear something. Something that sounded like music.

She leaned over, closer to Serenity, and nearly gasped when she realized that she was humming. It was a soft tune, short and sweet, and kept blending into itself in an endless loop. There was something hypnotic about the way Serenity hummed it, hypnotic and very familiar.

Amana recognized it. It was a tune she had only heard once or twice before, but there was no doubt in her mind as to where it came from. It was Michiru's favorite song – one she played on her violin all the time.

"You remember," Amana whispered. "Please, remember more!"

But the loop kept repeating in its never ending cycle.

"What are you humming?" She asked innocently, trying to get a response out of the dazed Queen.

Serenity didn't answer.

Placing her hand on Serenity's shoulder, Amana gently shook her. "Princess?"

Still nothing.

Icy shards of panic were starting to settle, more and more with each passing second of silence. "Serenity, wake up!" She firmly grabbed her other shoulder, shaking her a tad harder. "Snap out of it!"

The humming continued, not a beat missed.

Amana nervously glanced at the Queen's door, still tightly shut. "Usagi, listen to me… you have to break free of Diamond's control! You have to remember your life before all of this happened! Remember Mamoru, and Haruka, and Hotaru… and Chibiusa…" Her voice cracked at the very end, no matter how hard she tried to stop it.

Serenity didn't respond. She kept humming her tune, lost in her trance.

Every second felt like hours to Amana, helplessly watching her Princess. She felt so close to winning, so close to getting Usagi back, but the increasing anxiety easily eclipsed it.

"Korina… What do I do?" She whispered to herself.

Suddenly, Serenity hiccupped.

The Princess blinked several times, bringing her delicate fingers to her lips. "Oh… excuse me," She muttered. Her blue eyes came back into focus, falling on the distraught Amana. "Amana? What's wrong?"

The older lady stared back at Serenity, stunned into silence herself. "What's… wrong?" She repeated blankly. "I… are you okay, my Queen?"

"I'm fine…? Are you feeling well, Amana? You haven't been acting like yourself lately." Serenity brushed a bang out of her eyes before neatly folding her hands in her lap, as if nothing had even happened moments ago.

Suddenly aware of her pounding heart, Amana took a moment to find her bearings. She rose shakily to her feet and crossed the large room in silence, aware of Serenity's blue eyes fixed on her back. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the Princess with somewhat of a smile plastered on her face. _'I can't lose the memory now.'_ She told herself.

"What was that song you were humming? It was quite lovely." She asked, forcing herself to take slow, casual strides back towards Serenity.

Serenity blinked. "Was I humming?"

Stiffly, Amana nodded.

"Oh, well I suppose it was some nonsense tune. I can't even remember it, to be honest with you." Blue eyes turned towards the mirror in the vanity, a tinge of sadness dulling their usually brilliant shine.

"I see." Amana breathed. Just like that, she felt her heart fall. For a second, it was almost as though she was going to break through the shield around her and find the real Usagi, but again the grasp that Diamond had on the Princess prevailed.

For the first time, a horrifying thought settled uneasily in Amana's stomach. _'Is this even possible? Do we even stand a chance against Diamond?'_

Before she could say anything else, a sharp pain pulsed once through her head. As brief as it was, it still left Amana gasping for breath. She whipped her head towards the window and quickly closed the distance to it, peering down at the castle grounds below.

"He can't be…" She whispered, not wanting to believe it for a second. But that feeling was undeniable.

Prince Diamond was here.

Amana glanced towards Serenity, whom had turned her attention back to the crystalline hairpieces and jewelry strewn across the vanity, among them the ornate crown that normally adorned her head.

"Excuse me, Lady Serenity," She murmured, nearly flying across the room to the door. She couldn't simply disappear in front of Serenity, just in case the Princess accidentally said something about it to Diamond.

'_Dear Selene, don't let him be out there…'_ Amana prayed, slipping through the door and into the thankfully empty hallway. She wasted no time focusing her energy on the open folds of the dream, and with a golden flash disappeared from the distorted reality.

_**RE4**_

Korina sat as stiff as a statue, her eyes never leaving Serenity save for a few nervous glances at her heart monitor.

Ten minutes had felt like forever.

She vaguely remembered a conversation she'd had with Helios once about how warped time was in a dream. He had said it was something about a person's perception of time – and not the actual passing of time itself – that accounted for it.

Of course, the entire thing made no sense to Korina. Just about the only thing she had gathered was a minute of time awake was equivalent to almost twice longer in a dream.

So, it had been twenty minutes since Diamond entered her dream? Should Helios be out by now? Since he wasn't, did it mean he had gotten caught? Or did it mean he was evading?

Either way, not knowing was killing Korina. Her fingers drummed absently on the bottom of the stool, as she not so patiently waited for something, anything, to happen.

Finally, a golden aura manifested in the air between Korina and Serenity, and the heavy anxiety quickly eased. She stopped short of throwing herself towards the figure, even though it was just about the only thing she wanted to do in that moment. She instead awaited his arrival with a small, sad smile plastered on her face.

"How did it go?" Korina asked lightly.

Helios stared at her for a moment. "What happened?"

"That's what I'm asking." She shrugged.

He shook his head. "No, that's what I'm asking you. What happened?"

Scarlet eyes met gold ones for a long moment. She sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? He wouldn't listen to anything I said and insisted on visiting her dreams. I don't have any way of contacting you, so I couldn't…"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Helios cut her off, taking a few short strides closer to her. He reached out and lightly brushed his fingers on Korina's left cheek.

Even the light pressure was enough to make her wince. She quickly recovered, pushing his hand away. "It's nothing." Korina insisted, glancing at her reflection in the metal tray on the table besides her. Although there wasn't any bruising, her cheek was very red and the area around her cheekbone had puffed up slightly.

"It's not nothing." Helios scowled as he leaned closer to her, inspecting the red mark. "He hit you."

"Well, sure…" Korina murmured. "But I can handle it. I'm not a baby."

He brought his hand up again, and Korina resisted the urge to push it away as he traced the outline of the mark, brushing her long bangs out of the way.

"We can't worry about it now." Tilting her head so her bangs fell in front of her eye again, Korina turned towards her friend. "There's nothing we can do about it anyway."

"Maybe not right now." Helios said, his eyes never leaving her cheek. "Not right now."

Korina couldn't help but stare at him incredulously. _'You've changed so much since I first met you…' _She thought. Gone was the kind-hearted boy, the sole protector of dreams. The pure warmth he'd held in his eyes was nowhere near as welcoming now. Now, his eyes were filled with a fierce determination that she'd never guessed he could possess.

"What are you staring at?"

"Oh! N… nothing." Korina stuttered, feeling her cheeks flush. "Nothing too important."

Helios chuckled, and for a moment Korina could see the old warmth return to his eyes. "You should get some rest." He said.

"You should, too." She whispered, "Who knows what tomorrow brings."

Helios nodded slowly. He held her gaze for a moment longer, and a look of hesitation passed over him. But then he gave a small smile, turning away from Korina. "Goodnight." He said, vanishing in a flash of golden light.

"Goodnight." Korina whispered to herself.

**Phew! Finally got this chapter submitted! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**And at last! Another lovely chapter! I do hope you enjoy, as I spent quite a lot of time on this one. I wanted to get the emotions as close to perfect as I could! **

**Anyway, disclaimer: as per usual. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Fantastic lights swirled in the air, carrying with them a soft and unfamiliar song. The melody dipped and swayed with the colors in the lights, rising to a crescendo of yellows and reds and dropping again to a softer tune of blue. If Korina listened closely, she could almost make out specific clicks and whirs in the song; ones that sounded more like machines than music.

As the seconds passed the melody seemed to become louder and more obnoxious. Multiple colors blurred her vision at once, deafening her ears with the sounds of machines and voices. Between the colors, Korina could make out faint writing, like the type one would find in a book.

All at once, the songs and colors rushed towards her, swirling more and more until they reached a final high note, jolting Korina's body out of it's fitful rest.

The very next thing she noticed was the awful stiffness in her neck. She let out a low moan as she shook off the rest of her sleep; finally aware of her head nestled in her arms, folded on the desk. With a loud sigh she pulled her head up from the desk, the groggy sense of 'Where am I and when am I?' confusing her for a second.

Korina glanced around at the aging bookshelves of the old library, framed by the multicolored crystal tiers of Diamond's castle. Her eyes rested on an antique cookoo clock, drumming a never-ending metronome. As she tore her gaze away from the alluring sounds of the clock, Korina stared down at the pile on the desk in front of her.

Among the scraps of paper and scribbled notes and pens was a very large and very old book. It was well taken care of – there wasn't a single scuff or torn page to be found – the only indication to it's age was on the inside of the cover, where it was dated to nearly two centuries ago.

It was a medical book: the largest collection of research and facts on drugs and medicines possibly in the world. Korina could see a couple bookmarks sticking out of the top of the book, reminding her of the tireless hours she had spent the night before looking up everything she could about whatever it was the Princess was on.

Of course, very little of what she found was of any use to her.

"Nothing can ever be helpful anymore…" She murmured, staring at the papers upon papers of notes.

Footsteps in the hall just beyond the library door startled Korina into quickly gathering up all of her supplies. She closed them into the book and scooped it up into her arms. One more look at the clock on the wall told her it was nearly four in the morning.

She quietly exited the library, throwing a glance at the retreating form of one palace guard as he rounded the corner. Within a few minutes she was again in her own room, the door closed tightly behind her. After a moment in the darkness, her hand fumbled to find the flat, square pad on the wall near her door. As soon as her fingers made contact, the room lit up like daylight.

A scowl found it's way onto Korina's face. She stood with her back pressed up against the door, the medical book wrapped in her arms. Korina tightened her grip on it until her knuckles turned white at the corners, as if holding it so close to her body would make the answer magically appear before her.

"I'm supposed to know how to do this." She whispered through clenched teeth. "So why can't I figure it out?"

Out of frustration, she abruptly released her hold on the book, letting it fall to the ground. The papers that were once tucked away between the pages scattered in all directions. From where she stood Korina could see almost all of the work she had been immersed in last night, very little of it making sense to her now.

Heavy footsteps caught her attention as they passed by her door. Slow and steady, they could only have belonged to another one of the guards on night duty.

Once they had passed, Korina carefully stepped over the new mess on the floor and sat on the edge of her bed. Across the room she caught a reflection of herself in her mirror. Her usually crimson eyes stared back at her, darkened to a burgundy from the restless sleep. The dark circles underneath them only helped give her a somber look. Lavender strands of hair had fallen loose from the high pigtails and now flopped lazily in her face. A quick sweep of a hand later and the rogue locks were back in place.

With a sigh Korina stood again and sat down next to the pile of papers.

Picking up the pieces of work in no particular order, Korina tried to make any sense of what she had written. Most of the pages consisted of random, scrawled notes in multiple directions, none of which connected to form any sort of cohesive thought.

"And Serenity is the one on drugs…" She muttered under her breath, scanning yet another half-legible sheet of paper. Adding it to the pile in her arm, she reached out for another.

A sudden knock on the door startled Korina nearly out of her skin, causing her to jump to her feet. She stood staring, dumbfounded, at her door until there was a second knock.

Shocked back into motion she quickly pushed the large book under the bed, tossing the gathered papers on top. Taking a breath to compose herself, she opened her door.

Behind it stood yet another one of the night guards clad in the usual leathery uniform that all of the guards wore: some sort of thick material meant to protect against blades. The man towered over Korina, although he wasn't really all that tall. He looked down at her with a slight twinge of anger hidden in his eyes.

Wasting no time for a greeting of any sort, the guard spoke. "I have been instructed to enforce a curfew at midnight, and must ask you to turn off your lights."

Korina blinked back at him. "_Curfew_? Since when has there been any such thing?" She asked incredulously.

"You have been ordered to turn out your lights and return to bed." The guard repeated, avoiding her question. "If your lights have not been put out when I make my next round, I will have to report you for disturbing your neighbor's rest."

'_Now that sounds like a load of bull to me…'_ Korina thought, her teeth clenching.

The guard in front of her seemed to finally take note of her appearance, still in her now-wrinkled work clothes. "What could you possibly be doing this late anyway?" He scoffed.

"I fell asleep before I could ready myself for bed." The lie rolled easily off of her tongue. "And I just woke up. I was about to change when you knocked." She finished, packing as much irritation in her voice as she could towards the end.

He didn't seem phased at all. "Long day?" Something about his voice sounded almost as though he were mocking Korina.

"Yes, actually." She offered.

There was the smallest of snickers. "From what I hear, you don't have too many days left, little nurse."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Perhaps you're the one whose days are numbered." She seethed.

Even through his tough exterior, Korina could see the flicker of amusement in his eyes. As he turned and left without a word, she couldn't help shaking her fist at his back, wishing she could show him just what she was capable of.

Then again… She wasn't capable of a whole lot just yet.

With her door closed again, Korina could feel her heart pounding in her chest, the anger flushing her cheeks. Panic, no doubt.

People talked. There was no shortage of gossip flying around such a tight working community. People knew about her so-called "incompetence". A few, she feared, suspected more than just that.

Yet still. The whole "curfew" concept was new. No one had said anything about it, no one had told her. And why had the first guard walked by her lit room without a word, but the second guard stopped?

Deep in her gut, some part of her knew why. It had been the same guard both times – if not all three – that had seen her room lit through the crack under her door. He had gone and told Diamond she was awake, and then had been told to come back and 'check up' on her.

If there was any doubt that the Prince had grown suspicious, they had been quickly wiped clean.

Korina's eyes fell on the edge of her bed, where she knew the book was hidden. "Your time is up. You need to go now." A voice bubbled up from inside of her.

Her hand flew to her mouth. '_What… who was that?'_

The disturbing thought was pushed to the back of her mind and she jumped into gear. There was no time to figure out such unimportant things.

'_Maybe I'm just tired.'_

Korina gathered a few of the more promising papers she had written and tapped her pocket, making sure the broach was still there. Now facing the closed door, she stood frozen in fear. Fear, and nervousness.

With a tap on the wall, she was submerged in darkness. Slowly and silently pushing the tall door open, she peered out into the hall to find that she was alone.

'_That guard probably just went back to Diamond… this is my best chance at getting to Serenity.' _Korina thought, slipping into the hall yet again and pushing the door shut behind her.

Sticking close to the walls Korina quickly made her way through the maze of hallways, holding her breath as much as she could. Never had the path to the Princess's quarters seemed so long.

'_Almost there…'_ Korina peered around a corner to find an empty hallway and gratefully slid to the second door on the right. She gingerly pulled on the handle and stepped inside.

The blue-green glow of the various computers and monitors offered the only light in the room. Princess Serenity, illuminated under the eerie screens, looked unusually pale. She almost looked corpse like.

Fighting the sickening feeling in her stomach Korina searched for the light pad on the wall, finally letting a more natural light into the room. The same tubes and wires greeted her, but suddenly looked different. It was the knowing that they wouldn't be there for much longer that changed them, made them look less inhumane.

"First things first." Korina mumbled to herself, slipping off her black lace gloves and pulling on a pair of medical ones. She turned to face Serenity; acutely aware that she didn't even know where she should start.

"What are you doing?" A voice whispered to her from over her shoulder.

Every muscle in Korina's body tensed at the sudden voice. She whirled to face whoever it was, ready to grab something heavy and knock the person unconscious.

"Helios!" She hissed, a clipboard clutched in her hands. Only partly surprised, but very much relieved, Korina let out her held breath. "Why do you feel the need to startle me like that?"

Helios's eyes glanced up at her raised hands. "Just out of curiosity… were you about to bludgeon me with that?"

Korina felt her cheeks flush as she slowly lowered the clipboard back down to the table. She didn't answer him and instead turned back towards the Princess.

"What are you doing?" Helios asked again.

"It's time to go." She said shortly, making her way to the far side of Serenity. Her hands quickly clipped an IV bag – the one giving her nutrients – and then removed the tube from her elbow. Her crimson eyes flashed back up to meet Helios. "Bandage this." She directed.

Helios, after a moment of confusion, obliged. Grabbing the gauze and medical tape from where Korina was pointing, he did his best to wrap the elbow. "Why are you doing this now?"

She stared at him from across the room, her notes from earlier in hand. "Everyone around here is suspicious of something. I can't keep gambling for more time. There just isn't any left.

"Do you even know what you're doing? Or where to take her after this?"

"I'll figure it out." Korina said burying her face in her notes again. She knew what they all said; she had every page memorized. But she couldn't bear to look up at him, into those intense eyes. She knew he was right.

"Korina." He called her name, closer this time. It sounded as though he were only a foot or two away, yet she still refused to look up.

"Look at me." His voice was soft, pleading.

The backs of Korina's eyes stung. _'Don't cry.'_ She begged herself. _'Don't give in to those thoughts. They'll only slow you down.'_

Helios's hand came into view, between her and her notes. He gently lifted her chin up, leaving her no choice but to look him in the eyes.

"We aren't ready for this yet. There will be a time and a place to get Serenity out of here, but this isn't it." He insisted.

They both stood silent for a moment, inches away from each other. Finally Helios let go of her chin, instead wrapping his arms securely around her. Korina buried her face in his shoulder, and let the papers fall to the ground as she returned the embrace with shaky arms.

For a moment Korina found herself wishing that everything could have been different; that the two of them didn't have to be the only ones fighting a war against Diamond. She just wanted to believe him, wanted to turn around and pick up again another day. But it just couldn't be done. She knew they had to go. And they had to go now.

"I have to be ready now." Her voice was muffled in Helios's shoulder, but she knew he understood. "We're as ready as we'll ever be." She tried to convince herself, pulling away from Helios.

He looked away from her, his eyes a strange mix of fear, of hurt, and of understanding.

Korina took a deep breath, assessing the situation before her again. "There's no reason to dance around it anymore. I just need to pull everything. And it has to be done quickly."

Silently, she and Helios approached the bed. Helios, as directed by the petite nurse, busied himself with removing all of the monitors: the ones that were resting on Serenity's arms, neck and shoulders but weren't actually attached to her.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Korina clipped the two other IVs. As quickly as she could, she removed the tubes from the Princess, abruptly stopping any flow going in to her body. When both spots were bandaged, she and Helios stood to wait.

A minute went by, then two, soon five and then ten. Nothing happened.

The deep, rhythmic rising and falling of the Princess's chest was the only indication that she was still even alive. Had it not been for that, and Helios's hand reassuringly in hers, Korina would have had a meltdown.

What if it didn't work? What if, god forbid, Serenity died because of this? What if they were too late to begin with?

"Oh god…" Korina's voice cracked.

Helios squeezed her hand, calming her down. Yet one glance at his face told Korina that he was just as anxious as she was.

"What should we do?" She asked him. "Just wait?"

Helios opened his mouth to answer when a loud noise, like something falling, caught their attention from the hall behind Serenity's door.

Korina's heart leapt to her throat. It wasn't even five in the morning, surely the morning nurses weren't here already?

It fell silent. Korina turned to Helios again, unsure of what to make of it.

But it didn't matter. What happened next explained everything.

The door flew open, banging against the cabinets behind it, and four armed guards swarmed the room. Behind them stood Prince Diamond, with a less than pleased expression on his face.

The Prince regarded the scene coolly, his stone blue eyes scanning first Korina's and Helios's shocked faces and then moving to where Serenity lay on her bed, the medical equipment gone.

"What do you think you're doing?" He seethed, his voice a deadly calm.

Korina forced the shocked look off of her face and held her glare steady. Neither she nor Helios dared say anything. When her eyes locked with Diamond's, he spoke.

"I was starting to get the feeling that you were a weasel in this castle." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Working against me, all this time? I'm a fool for not seeing it. But you're a fool if you think you're getting away with this. You and your friend here are going to be sorry you ever set foot in my castle." He glanced at Helios, a peculiar expression riddling his face when his eyes rested on the horn.

A spark lit in Helios's golden eyes. "This castle will never be yours. It will always belong to the rightful king and queen!" He spat.

One of the guards closest to him sprung forward at the remark, burying his knee into Helios's stomach before he could blink. Helios doubled over in pain, the wind knocked out of him.

Korina's jaw tightened, her fists clenching at her sides, but refused to break her glare with Diamond. Instead she packed all of her intensity, all of her anger and hatred, into that glare. She was not backing down.

"Know your place, boy." Diamond said, his eyes never leaving Korina's. "I am the rightful king, and Neo Queen Serenity will rule by my side as the rightful queen."

Helios pulled himself to his feet. "In your dreams, Diamond." He wheezed through clenched teeth.

"What was that?" The Prince's steady gaze flashed towards him again.

"He said 'In your dreams'. As in no matter what you tell yourself you will never be the rightful king in the eyes of these people." Korina's voice, low and angry, brought the Prince's attention back to her.

Diamond stared at her a moment longer before the corner of his lips curled up in a sinister smirk. "Is that it, then? A little bit of preaching and you fall before me? I seem to have overestimated you, little Korina." His voice snarled on her name.

She bared her teeth at him. "We aren't going down quietly." She hissed.

The four guards flanking the Prince fell into a fighting stance, but none of them unsheathed their swords.

'_I think I'd rather be ribboned to death.'_ Korina thought with dry humor, eyeing the hilt of one blade.

A moment of anxious silence filled the room, too much like the calm before a storm. Korina could feel that fighting spark only a touch away when she heard the softest, strangest noise behind her.

Prince Diamond and the guards stood, absolutely frozen in shock. Every set of eyes turned towards the center of the room, where Serenity slept.

Or rather, should have been sleeping.

One delicate, pale arm twitched and turned over at the Princess's side. She let out a low groan, and her voice cracked from the disuse.

"She's awakening…" Helios whispered, his voice a mix of horror and relief.

Korina looked up at him, the disbelief apparent on her face, and then she felt it. She wasn't sure what it was exactly, but it was warm. Encouraging. Powerful. The warmth stung at her very core, rising up until Korina's ears were ringing.

"The crystal! The Silver Crystal!" Korina exclaimed, looking back towards her princess. As she awoke more and more, so did the power of the crystal. It was as though they were both coming back to life. Korina could feel the pulsing of the crystal, fueling her as much as it was fueling Serenity.

"Do you feel that?" She asked Helios.

He frowned at her. "No, I don't."

Before she could say anything back, the voice from before interrupted her thoughts. _'Transform.' _It commanded.

Korina was suddenly aware of the stinging, fiery warmth coming from her pocket. She pulled out the broach, which held it's own little dark ruby glow, and held it to her chest, shouting the first words that came to mind.

"Charon Star Power, MAKE UP!"

* * *

**Yay! Now we can really get this ball rolling! Thanks for reading, lovelies! :D**


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